Sunday 7/7/24: Reaching the Heights

 It is Sunday 7/7 and we are booked for the Kuranda Self drive: Scenic rail and Skyrail trip at 12.

As usual we have breakfast in the resort (it is included)       See menu

We even have time for a lovely walk along our beach which goes forever in both directions. It is only across a narrow road and narrow grassy path and a bit of sand.  Sounds so good except that you can't swim in it. It is quite rough and even brown at present due the flooding and storms recently. 

But that is not all. There are crocodiles and two kinds of stingy jellyfish like creatures. Each of those can cause serious injury and/or death.  There is one part that is netted so you can swim there with lifeguards watching.  They go around every morning to net any jellyfish that might have got into the enclosure. It is netted for crocs. Nice.

So we drive to the Skyrail terminal and there are huge numbers of people. Lucky my trusty disabled parking thing gifts me a great park.  We are a bit early for our booked time (Really? How?)  Anyway we push our way forward  and somehow either because of our booked time or my obvious and noted on disability ('she has a disability'  in a loud voice), we are on a cable car from a different entrance ahead of 50 other people. 

Them's the breaks people! 

 the terminal

The Skyrail Rainforest takes you to Kuranda, a little village which i am sure is built just for this purpose. There are a couple of stops on the way so you can take more photos and use facilities.

The village of Kuranda is old and has lots of tourist shops, a couple of pubs and trading post. After lunch at the pub and a stroll around the town, we made our way back to the Kuranda Scenic Rail  station for our trip back through the rainforest.

It was a really long train with lots of people.  The rain forest is apparently the world's oldest continually surviving tropical rainforest.   It was amazing, all sorts of trees and vegetation growing on top of each other trying to get some sun.  The train also stopped a couple of times so we could capture the view.

Inside the train. Very historic and cute but not so comfortable.

Scenes from the train

you might be able to see the end of the train which is very long.

At times we were inches from the edge of a cliff, other times went over bridges which were amazing.

Once we arrived at the station, we then had to find the shuttle bus which would take us back to the skyrain terminal, where our car was.  Big day ie car, cable car, train, shuttle bus and car.

And you wont believe that we were back in time for cocktails and canapes!!(der)

We realised that we did need dinner so decided on a takeaway pizza. After much walking, not always in the right direction, we went the Italian restaurant almost next door to us. Seemed to be everyone in Palm Cove's idea as well.  It was very busy so while waiting we thought we would have a drink at the French  bar next door.

Great idea to have a drink while waiting. Unfortunately the waitress forgot our order and needed reminding....

Anyway all good and after a busy day,  time to watch telly. 

It is Rest and relaxation after all!